Pushing stick and ring for same

ABSTRACT

A pushing stick and a ring for the same. The lower end of a shaft comprises a stick ring comprising a fastening part and a projection-like ring frame attached to the fastening part. The bar-like ring frame is directed forwards with respect to the direction of travel and its front is provided with at least one spike. Said spike then resides at a distance from the central axis of the shaft, whereby a bending moment is directed to the ring frame on account of the push force. The ring frame is rigid in order to be able to transmit the bending moment being formed to the lower end of the shaft.

[0001] This application is a Continuation of International ApplicationPCT/FI01/01107 filed on Dec. 17, 2001, which designated the U.S. and waspublished under PCT Article 21(2) in English.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The invention relates to a pushing stick, the stick comprising anelongated shaft, a handle part arranged at the upper end of the shaft inorder to direct a push force substantially in the longitudinal directionof the shaft to the stick, and further a stick ring arranged at thelower end of the shaft; and wherein the stick ring comprises a fasteningpart for fastening the shaft to the stick ring, a ring frame attached tosaid fastening part transversely to the longitudinal axis of the shaft,the ring frame extending to the front of the stick as viewed in thedirection of travel, and further at least one spike arranged on the sideof the lower surface of the ring frame.

[0003] The invention further relates to a ring for a pushing stick, thestick ring comprising: a fastening part for fastening the stick ring tothe lower end of a shaft of the pushing stick, a ring frame attached tosaid fastening part and extending to the front of the fastening part asviewed in the direction of travel, and at least one spike provided onthe side of the lower surface of the ring frame.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0004] Typically, ski sticks and the like are equipped with a spike asan extension at the lower end of a shaft. A problem with theconventional ski sticks is that the shaft cannot be charged with asufficient push force during a push, which makes the push lessefficient. Since skiing has become a speedier sport as the tracks andskis have developed, the ski sticks are also expected to show some newcharacteristics.

[0005] FI publication 82194 discloses an oval ring for a ski stick, thecentral axis of the ring pointing in the direction of skiing. As viewedin the direction of skiing, the ring extends to the front of the stick.Since the spike is arranged as an extension of the shaft, this solutionenables no push force to be stored in the shaft in order to provide anefficient push.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a novel andimproved pushing stick and a ring for the same.

[0007] The pushing stick of the invention is characterized in that asviewed in the longitudinal direction of the stick, the ring frame is abar-like projection pointing in the direction of travel, whose first endis attached to the fastening part and whose second end is free; that oneor more spikes are arranged at least in the area of the second end ofthe ring frame at a distance from the central axis of the shaft; thatthe ring frame is arranged to serve as a lever arm between said spikeand the shaft, whereby a bending moment is arranged to be formed in thering frame when the push force in the direction of the longitudinal axisof the shaft is directed to the stick; and that the ring frame is asubstantially rigid object in terms of bending, arranged to transmit thebending moment being formed to the lower end of the shaft.

[0008] The ring for a pushing stick according to the invention isfurther characterized in that as viewed from above, the ring frame is abar-like projection pointing in the direction of travel, whose first endis attached to the fastening part and whose second end is free; that oneor more spikes are arranged at least in the area of the second end ofthe ring frame at a distance from the fastening part, whereby the ringframe is arranged to form a lever arm between said spike and thefastening part; and that the ring frame is a substantially rigid objectin terms of bending.

[0009] An essential idea underlying the invention is that the lower endof a pushing stick is provided with a stick ring comprising aprojection-like ring frame. As viewed in the direction of travel, thering frame is directed forwards, and the area of its free end isprovided with at least one spike which, as viewed in the longitudinaldirection of the stick, constitutes the lowest section of the stick. Thespike is then located at a distance from the central axis of the shaftand the ring frame thus serves as a lever arm; subsequently, a bendingmoment is formed when the stick is subjected to a push force. Being arigid object in terms of bending, the ring frame is capable oftransmitting the bending moment being formed to the lower end of theshaft. Furthermore, since the spike is located at a distance from thecentral axis of the shaft, the stick makes a larger arc when beingtilted than if the spike serving as the fulcrum for the tilt werearranged as an extension of the central axis of the shaft.

[0010] An advantage of the invention is that the forward-pointing ringframe enables the radius of the arc made by the stick when being tiltedto be larger than the length of the stick, which means that tilting thestick results in a lengthening effect on the stick and a more efficientpush. Furthermore, when the ring frame serves as a lever arm between thetip spike and the shaft, the push force generates a bending moment to betransmitted to the lower end of the shaft which bends under the impactof said bending moment, thus converting some of the push force into aspring force. The spring force stored in the elastically bending shaftof the stick is released towards the end of a push, making it moreefficient.

[0011] An essential idea of an embodiment of the invention is that asviewed in the longitudinal direction of the stick, the free end of thering frame extends farther than the end of the ring frame facing thefastening part. This ensures that together with the spike, the tip ofthe ring frame always forms the outermost section of the lower end ofthe stick, thus being the first element to meet the surface when beingpushed.

[0012] An essential idea of an embodiment of the invention is that thefree end of the ring frame is provided with a projection-like claw thatextends a distance downwards from the lower surface of the stick frame.The claw may serve as a fastening part for a spike. On the other hand,the claw itself may serve as a spike.

[0013] An essential idea of an embodiment of the invention is that thefastening part is an elongated sleeve into which the shaft of the stickcan be inserted. Furthermore, the fastening part is elastically flexiblein its longitudinal direction, which means that no discontinuity, whichis disadvantageous to the strength of the structure, will be formedbetween the fastening part and the shaft.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The invention will be described in closer detail in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, in which

[0015]FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing a pushing stick of theinvention,

[0016]FIG. 2 schematically shows a lengthening effect on a push producedby the pushing stick of the invention,

[0017]FIG. 3 is a schematic top view showing the pushing stick accordingto FIG. 1,

[0018]FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing a ring for a pushing stickaccording to the invention,

[0019]FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a cross section of the ring fora pushing stick according to FIG. 4 taken along line G-G,

[0020]FIG. 6 is a schematic bottom view showing the ring for a pushingstick according to FIG. 4,

[0021]FIG. 7 is a schematic side view showing a second stick ringaccording to the invention,

[0022]FIG. 8 is a schematic top view showing an extension part that canbe arranged in the stick ring of the invention,

[0023]FIG. 9 is a schematic side view showing the extension part of FIG.8,

[0024] FIGS. 10 to 12 are schematic side views showing a pushing stickaccording to the invention, equipped with an extension part,

[0025]FIG. 13 is a schematic top view showing an extension part,

[0026]FIG. 14 is a schematic side view showing a pushing stick of theinvention and FIG. 15 shows a corresponding pushing stick as seen in thedirection of travel, and

[0027]FIGS. 16 and 17 are schematic side views showing further possiblestick ring structures according to the invention.

[0028] For the sake of clarity, the figures show the invention in asimplified manner. Like reference numbers identify like elements.

[0029] It is to be noted that in the present application, a pushingstick refers to an exercise means enabling a push force produced by aperson with his or her hand to be conveyed to a surface in order to makethe person's movement more efficient. The pushing stick of the inventionis thus suited for use in cross-country skiing, Alpine skiing, rollerskiing, roller skating, long distance skating, Nordic walking,snowshoeing and other such forms of exercise.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] The pushing stick 1 shown in FIG. 1 comprises an elongated shaft2, which may be a tube having a circular or an elliptical cross-sectionand made of a fibre-reinforced plastic material. The upper end of theshaft 2 may be provided with a handle part 3 typically comprising afastening element 4, such as a fastening strap, for attaching the stick1 to a user's hand. Alternatively, in place of a fastening strap, thehandle part 3 may comprise a glove-like fastening element 4 shown inFIG. 2, into which a hand is inserted and tightened. The handle part 3determines the operating direction of the stick since the handle part 3is typically shaped to be worn on the hand only in one predeterminedposition. In addition, the fastening elements 4 of the handle part 3determine the way in which the stick is directed when in use. Thedirection of travel is designated by a reference A in the figure.Furthermore, the lower end of the stick 2 is provided with a stick ring5 attached to the shaft 2 by a fastening part 6. The fastening part 6may be an elongated sleeve into which the lower end of the shaft 2 isinserted. The strength of the joint between the fastening part 6 and theshaft 2 can be secured by glue, for example. Furthermore, the stick ring5 comprises a ring frame 7 transverse to the longitudinal direction B ofthe shaft 2; as viewed in the longitudinal direction B of the shaft 2,the ring frame 7 is a bar-like projection. A first end 8 of the ringframe 7 is attached to the fastening part 6 while a second end 9 isfree. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the ring frame 7 points towards thedirection of travel A, which means that the ring frame 7 residessubstantially at the front of the stick 1 exclusively and thelongitudinal axis of the ring frame 7 is substantially parallel with thedirection of travel A. The side of the lower surface 10 of the secondend 9 of the ring frame 7 is provided with at least one spike 11. Thespike 11 thus constitutes the lowest section of the stick 1, which meansthat the spike is the first element to touch a surface 12 when a push Fis carried out by the stick 1. Since the spike 11 is located at adistance C from the central axis of the shaft 2, a push force F causes abending moment to be formed in the ring frame 7. The distance C may be 3to 15 cm. Thanks to the structure and/or the manufacturing material ofthe ring frame 7, it is a rigid object in terms of bending, thus capableof transmitting the bending moment caused by the push force F to thefastening part 6 and further to the shaft 2. The lower end of the shaft2 then bends according to the broken line 13 in FIG. 1, which, for thesake of clarity, is shown in a highly exaggerated manner, causing aspring force to be stored in the elastically flexible shaft 2. Thespring force is released towards the end of the push, making it moreefficient. The spring force and the utilization thereof can be takeninto account when the shaft 2 is designed. Typically, the shaft 2 ismanufactured by winding reinforced fibres impregnated with a plasticmaterial around a mandrel or a corresponding frame. The bendingstiffness and other characteristics of the shaft 2 can then be adjustedin a relatively simple manner by modifying the winding angle of thereinforced fibres, the number of wound rounds and by using differentreinforced fibre materials, such as carbon and aramid fibres. The stickring 5 may be made of a plastic material by injection moulding. Thespike 11 or spikes may be made of metal and they can be attached tofastening points provided in the second end 9 of the ring frame 7.Alternatively, the spike 11 can be a part integrated into the ring frame7, made of the same material as the ring frame 7 or different materialthan the ring frame 7. The material, sizing and shape of the spike 11are selected according to the purpose of use of the pushing stick 1. Askating stick and a ski stick, for example, utilize a sharp spike 11 toensure a good grip on ice as well. On the other hand, a spike 11 insticks for Nordic walking, for example, may be provided with a blunt tipand equipped with an appropriate friction surface in order to increasethe friction between asphalt and the spike 11.

[0031] In FIG. 2, the stick 1 is shown in a tilted position to enablethe lengthening effect provided by the ring frame 7 pointing towards thedirection of travel A to be seen. When the upper end of the shaft 1 istilted in direction D with respect to the spike 11, the upper end of thestick 1 turns along the curve drawn by the radius designated by thebroken line 14 in FIG. 2. When the stick is being tilted, its effectivelength is the oblique distance from the spike 11 to the handle part 3shown by the broken line 14, and in the stick according to theinvention, this distance is always longer than distance E in thedirection of the longitudinal axis of the stick 1. The magnitude of thelengthening effect depends on the length of the ring frame 7 and,subsequently, on the distance at which the spike 11 resides from thecentral axis of the shaft 2. A user gets the feeling that tilting thestick makes the stick grow longer, in which case the user, utilizingthis characteristic, is capable of lengthening the effective time of apush, thus making his or her pushes more efficient.

[0032] At the outset of a push, the stick 1, as shown in FIG. 1, is inan upright position and the force component pointing towards thedirection of travel A is low. The shaft 2 is thus charged with a pushforce, the force then being released towards the end of the pushingmotion, the stick 1 being tilted towards the direction of travel A, asshown in FIG. 2. Thus, the force component effective towards thedirection of travel A is at its highest towards the end of the push.

[0033]FIG. 3 is a top view showing the pushing stick according toFIG. 1. FIG. 3 clearly shows the projection-like structure of the ringframe 7. Thanks to the projection-like structure of the ring frame 7,the shaft 2 bends towards a predetermined direction in a controlledmanner, which means that the shaft 2 can be stiffened in the particulardirection. This enables the danger of the shaft 2 being buckled, whichis a common situation in connection with the conventional sticks whereinthe spike 11 resides in the extension of the shaft 2, to be avoided.

[0034] As seen from the side, the shape of the stick ring 5 shown inFIG. 4 is substantially a triangle. The ring frame 7 is at its widest atthe first end 8 facing the fastening part 6, tapering towards the secondend 9. The cross-section of the ring frame 7 is thus arranged toincrease towards the shaft. The ring frame 7 forms a lever arm, and thebending moment is at its highest at the end facing the fastening part 6.A downwards-pointing projection-like claw 16 is arranged at the secondend of the ring frame 7 for the spike 11. The .ring frame 7 is arrangedobliquely at the lower end of the shaft 2, in which case the second end9 of the ring frame extends farther in the longitudinal direction of thestick 1 than the first end 8. This, together with the downwards-pointingclaw 16, ensures that the spike 11 or spikes at the front of the ringframe 7 is/are always the first element or elements to touch the surface12. On the other hand, it is not necessary to equip the claw 16 with aseparate spike 11 but the claw itself may also serve as a spike. It canbe further seen in FIG. 4 that as viewed in the direction of travel A,the lower surface 10 of the ring frame 7 may be downwardly convex, soits shape corresponds with the curvilinear tilting motion of the stick1.

[0035]FIG. 4 further shows a structure of the fastening part 6. Thefastening part 6 is an elongated sleeve into which the lower end of theshaft 2 can be inserted. The joint between the fastening part 6 and theshaft 2 may be either a fixed one or it can be arranged such thatdifferent stick rings 5 can be attached to the shaft 2 as required. Aso-called bayonet fixing can be applied to the joint. The backsidesurface of the fastening part 6 shown in Figure 4 is equipped withtransverse indentations 30, which enables the fastening part 6 to bend adistance in the direction of its longitudinal axis. Consequently, nosharp discontinuity is formed between the shaft 2 and the fastening part6 but the fastening part 6 at least to some extent balances the forces,which is why the structure of the shaft 2 becomes more durable againstloads. Instead of using indentations 30, the fastening part 6 can bemade flexible in the longitudinal direction by using appropriatedimensions and materials for the fastening part. Furthermore, thefastening part 6 preferably extends higher than the joint between thering frame 7 and the fastening part 6, which in part also reduces thestrain the shaft 2 is subjected to. The cross-section of the shaft 2 mayalso be elliptical, which makes it more tolerant against bending in thedirection of travel A. The indentations 30 also lighten the stick ringstructure and further alleviate the fastening of the shaft 2.

[0036]FIG. 5 shows a cross-section of the ring frame 7 taken along lineG-G. At the bottom of the cross-section lies a triangular bottom part 7a above which, in turn, is provided a plate-like upper part 7 b whosecross-section resembles a rectangle arranged in an upright position. Thelower surface 10 of the bottom part 7 a then forms a supporting surfacelarge enough more often than not to prevent the stick ring 5 fromsubmerging into at least a relatively hard surface, such as tamped tracksurface. A stick ring 5 intended for a hard surface, such as a road,does not have to take the size of the supporting surface into accountbut a most important aspect in the sizing of the bottom part 7 a is tomake the ring frame 7 sideways stiff enough. The maximum width of thebottom part 7 a preferably ranges between 7 and 10 mm. Furthermore, theupper part 7 b can be a relatively narrow structure horizontally, evenas narrow as 2 to 5 mm, which means that it is light but at the sametime extremely stiff in terms of vertical bending. The air resistance ofthe cross-section as described above is low.

[0037]FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the stick ring 5. The lower surface 10of the ring frame 7 may be provided with projections 15 to improve thegrip between the stick ring 5 and the surface 12. Although the ringframe 7 is a relatively narrow projection-like bar, thanks to the lengthof the ring frame 7 the surface area of the lower surface 10 of the ringframe is large enough to bear the stick on most surfaces 12.

[0038]FIG. 7 shows still another stick ring 5 equipped with an extensionpart 17. As can be seen in FIGS. 8 and 9, the extension part 17 is aplate-like part arranged on the side of the lower surface 10 of the ringframe 7. The surface area of the extension part 17 is larger than thatof the lower surface 10 of the ring frame, which means that the stickcan be prevented from submerging into a soft surface on account of thepush force F. Such an extension part 17 can be used when moving in softsnow, a wood or on a bog, for example. The extension part 17 may bearranged fixedly in the stick ring 5 or it can be an easily detachableand mountable accessory. The extension part 17 is arranged in the areaof the second end 9 of the ring frame 7 by means of a hinge 18, in whichcase the extension part 17 is able to turn a distance indicated by angleH in FIG. 7 between the lower surface 10 of the ring frame 7 and thebroken line 19 in FIG. 7. When the stick 1 is lifted, the hinge 18enables the extension part 17 to turn such that it readily ascends withthe front edge first also when submerged in soft snow, for example.Furthermore, since the hinge 18 enables the extension part 17 to movewith its front edge first between the pushes, the air resistance causedby the extension part 17 is low even if the extension part may be quitelarge.

[0039]FIG. 8 shows that the extension part 17 may comprise openings 20,which means that despite being large it can be light. The front 17 a ofthe extension part 17 is provided with two upwards-pointing lugs 21 at adistance from each other that are equipped with a transverse opening 22.Furthermore, the second end 9 of the ring frame 7 is provided with atransverse opening 23 on the backside of the claw 16, as can be seen inFIG. 7. A hinge pin 24 is arranged through the openings 22 and 23 topivotally connect the stick ring 5 and the extension part 17 with oneanother. During a push, the extension part 17 is supported against thelower surface 10 of the ring frame 7. The extension part 17 may be madeof a plastic material by injection moulding.

[0040]FIG. 10 shows a pushing stick equipped with an extension part 17.The front of the stick ring 5 comprises a spike 11 arranged through anopening in the extension part 17 such that the spike 11 is supportedagainst the ground. At the outset of a push, the ring frame 7 supportsthe extension part 17 into a correct position such that the extensionpart 17 is substantially at right angles to the axis of the stick tube.The extension part 17 then prevents the stick 1 from submerging into asoft surface in the most advantageous manner. Furthermore, a hinge or ajoint 30 around which the stick is allowed to turn during the push isprovided between the pushing stick 1 and the extension part 17. Despitethe turning, the spike 11 or spikes at the front of the ring frame 7retain their contact with the surface while the extension part 17 liessubstantially parallel with the surface.

[0041] In FIG. 11, the stick 1 is shown towards the end of a push whenthe stick tube 2 is tilted with respect to the extension part 17. Duringthe push, the stick tube 2 becomes charged with spring force, which isillustrated by a bend 13 in the stick tube 2 in FIG. 11. FIG. 12 shows asituation wherein the push is completed and the stick 1 is being liftedin direction J in order to move the stick 1 into a new position for anext push. The joint 30 allows the rear end of the extension part 17 todrag against the surface while the stick is being moved, in which casepart of the mass of the extension part is directed to the surface duringthe movement. Then, even if the extension part 17 is large, or even ifsnow or dirt is stuck to the extension part 17, the stick 1 is stilllight to handle. If the extension part 17 sinks into a soft surface,such as deep snow, it can easily be lifted up because, thanks to thejoint 30 at the front of the extension part 17, the extension part 17ascends from the snow with the tip first, in which case the surface arearesisting the lifting in direction J is small. The solution shown inFIGS. 10 to 12 is preferably applied to long distance and Telemarkskiing.

[0042]FIG. 13 is a top view showing the extension part of the stick 1shown in FIGS. 10 to 12. The extension part 17 is an elongated,substantially plate-like object whose front is upwardly oblique. Theextension part 17 may, for example, be 25 cm long and 12 cm wide, or itmay be 35 cm long and 15 cm wide, for example. The extension part 17comprises openings 20 to lighten the structure. The extension part 17may be made of a plastic material by injection moulding, for example.The front of the extension part 17 comprises an opening 31 through whicha spike 11 is arranged. If the lower surface of the ring frame 7comprises several spikes 11, each spike is provided with an opening 31.Furthermore, the joint 30 and the opening 31 can be dimensioned to allowthe front of the ring frame 7 to turn to the side of the lower surfaceof the extension part 17 during a push. The joint 30 may comprise twolugs, for example, and an axis pivotally arranged therebetween. Thejoint between the extension part 17 and the ring frame 7 enables theextension part 17 to be easily detached for replacement or a downhillrun. The extension part 17 may be an accessory to be attached to thebasic stick 1 when necessary.

[0043]FIGS. 14 and 15 show a stick ring 5 for Nordic walking inparticular. The ring frame 7 may be about 4-5 cm long. Furthermore, thefront of the ring frame 7 comprises two spikes 11 located side by sidetransversely to the longitudinal axis of the ring frame 7. The twospikes 11 make the stick 1 steady to handle sideways also when moving ona relatively hard surface.

[0044]FIGS. 16 and 17 show a stick ring 5 comprising a tip spike 11 a atthe front of the ring frame 7 and a heel spike 11 b in the extension ofthe stick tube 2. In FIG. 16, the spikes 11 a and 11 b extend equallyfar in the longitudinal direction of the stick 1 whereas in FIG. 17, theheel spike 11 b extends farther than the tip spike 11 a. The stick ring5 equipped with the tip spike and the heel spike 17 is suited to Alpineskiing in particular because the tip spike 11 a and the spring forcecharged into the stick tube 2 therethrough can be utilized at the outsetof a downhill run when the sticks are used for a more powerful take-off.The heel spike 11 b, in turn, is utilized in controlling the run, forexample in slalom turns. Furthermore, the ring frame 7 may be shaped asthe ring frame shown in FIG. 15, i.e. it can be an upwards taperingstructure, in which case it is aerodynamically advantageous. Such a ringframe 7 can serve as a wing at high speeds to reduce whirls of air andto stabilize the skier.

[0045] The drawings and the related description are only intended toillustrate the idea of the invention. In its details, the invention mayvary within the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A pushing stick, comprising an elongated shaft, ahandle part arranged at the upper end of the shaft in order to direct apush force substantially in the longitudinal direction of the shaft tothe stick, a stick ring arranged at the lower end of the shaft, andwherein the stick ring comprises a fastening part for fastening theshaft to the stick ring, a ring frame attached to said fastening parttransversely to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, and as viewed in thelongitudinal direction of the stick, the ring frame is a bar-likeprojection pointing in the direction of travel, and the first end of thering frame is attached to the fastening part and the second end of thering frame is free, and at least one spike arranged on the side of thelower surface of the ring frame, and being arranged at least in the areaof the second end of the ring frame at a distance from the central axisof the shaft, the ring frame is arranged to serve as a lever arm betweensaid spike and the shaft, whereby a bending moment is arranged to beformed in the ring frame when the push force in the direction of thelongitudinal axis of the shaft is directed to the stick, and the ringframe is a substantially rigid object in terms of bending, thus arrangedto transmit the bending moment being formed to the lower end of theshaft.
 2. A pushing stick as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second endof the ring frame extends farther than the first end of the ring frame,as viewed in the longitudinal direction of the stick.
 3. A pushing stickas claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower surface of the ring frame isdownwardly convex, as viewed in the direction of travel.
 4. A pushingstick as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fastening part is an elongatedsleeve, the lower end of the shaft is arranged inside the sleeve, andthe sleeve is flexible in its longitudinal direction.
 5. A pushing stickas claimed in claim 1, wherein the shape of the ring frame issubstantially a triangle as viewed from the side, and the shape of thebottom part of the cross-section of the ring frame is substantially atriangle and further, the upper part of the cross-section resembles arectangle arranged in an upright position.
 6. A pushing stick as claimedin claim 1, wherein one or more spikes are arranged in the area of thesecond end of the ring frame exclusively.
 7. A pushing stick as claimedin claim 1, wherein the lower end of the stick comprises a substantiallyplate-like extension part arranged on the side of the lower surface ofthe ring frame, the extension part is larger than the lower surface ofthe ring frame, the front of the extension part comprises a hinge, theextension part is attached to the second end of the ring frame by meansof said hinge, and the extension part is arranged to turn with respectto said hinge a predetermined angle downwards from the lower surface ofthe ring frame.
 8. A pushing stick as claimed in claim 7, wherein thefront of the extension part comprises two upwards-pointing lugs at adistance from each other, said lugs comprise transverse first openings,the area of the second end of the ring frame comprises a transversesecond opening, and a hinge pin is arranged through said first openingsand said second opening to pivotally connect the ring frame and theextension part with one another.
 9. A pushing stick as claimed in claim7, wherein the extension part comprises at least one opening throughwhich the spike is arranged to extend to the side of the lower surfaceof the extension part.
 10. A ring for a pushing stick, the stick ringcomprising a fastening part for fastening the stick ring to the lowerend of a shaft of the pushing stick, a ring frame attached to saidfastening part and as viewed from above, the ring frame is a bar-likeprojection pointing in the direction of travel, and the first end of thering frame is attached to the fastening part and the second end of thering frame is free, at least one spike provided on the side of the lowersurface of the ring frame, and being arranged at least in the area ofthe second end of the ring frame at a distance from the fastening part,the ring frame is arranged to form a lever arm between said spike andthe fastening part, and the ring frame is a substantially rigid objectin terms of bending.
 11. A stick ring as claimed in claim 10, whereinthe second end of the ring frame extends farther than the first end ofthe ring frame as viewed in the longitudinal direction of the fasteningpart, the spike in the area of the second end thus constituting thelowest section of the stick ring.
 12. A stick ring as claimed in claim10, wherein the fastening part is an elongated sleeve, and the sleeve isflexible in its longitudinal direction.
 13. A stick ring as claimed inclaim 10, wherein the shape of the ring frame is substantially atriangle as viewed from the side, and the shape of the bottom part ofthe cross-section of the ring frame is substantially a triangle andfurther, the upper part of the cross-section resembles a rectanglearranged in an upright position.
 14. A stick ring as claimed in claim10, wherein at least one spike is arranged in the area of the second endof the ring frame exclusively.
 15. A stick ring as claimed in claim 14,wherein the second end of the ring frame comprises a projection-likeclaw pointing downwards from its lower surface, and the spike in thestick ring is arranged at the lower end of the claw.
 16. A stick ring asclaimed in claim 10, wherein a substantially plate-like extension partis arranged on the side of the lower surface of the ring frame, theextension part is larger than the lower surface of the ring frame, thefront of the extension part comprises a hinge, the extension part isattached to the second end of the ring frame by means of said hinge, andthe extension part is arranged to turn with respect to said hinge apredetermined angle downwards from the lower surface of the ring frame.17. A stick ring as claimed in claim 16, wherein the front of theextension part comprises two upwards-pointing lugs at a distance fromeach other, said lugs comprise transverse first openings, the area ofthe second end of the ring frame comprises a transverse second opening,and a hinge pin is arranged through said first openings and said secondopening to pivotally connect the ring frame and the extension part withone another.